⬆️Listen on Substack or the app of your choice.

Watch on YouTube📺 Episode Link

What’s This Episode About

Melissa and David unpack collective illusion — the strange phenomenon where we think everyone agrees with something… but they don’t. From Twitter dumpster fires to AI influencers, from book clubs to binge drinking myths, the Radkes dive into why most of us stay silent even when we disagree.

Also in this episode: Remi’s washcloth showdown, why only 10% of Twitter/X users shape the conversation, and what authenticity looks like in marriage, parenting, and faith.

Episode Highlights

* Melissa’s haircut crisis & Remi’s washcloth scandal

* Collective illusion explained (and why it’s so dangerous)

* How AI bots stir division (and what that means for community)

* Why we silence ourselves — even when we shouldn’t

* Marriage & family examples of collective illusion (salmon dinners, Survivor nights, and holiday food lies)

* A game of “What Crime Would I Commit?” turns into vehicular manslaughter accusations (yes, really)

⏱️ Timestamps & Topics

00:00 – Melissa’s haircut update & Remi’s washcloth scandal

08:00 – Collective Illusion explained (Mel Robbins + Dr. Todd Rose)

18:00 – Are 25% of your Facebook comments bots?

27:00 – Community vs. self-silencing

38:00 – Marriage, family & why we eat salmon we hate

55:00 – Zombie apocalypse, manslaughter, and cartoon fights

Links:

* The Mel Robbins Podcast on Collective Illusions

* Dr. Todd Rose’s Collective Illusions

* Reuters article on AI actress Tilly Norwood

Listen on Apple: https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowAppleListen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowSpotifyWatch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowYouTube

📖 Melissa’s New Book: Chicken-Fried Women → https://bit.ly/ChickenFriedWomen📝 Subscribe to Stretch Marks on Substack → https://bit.ly/MelissaRadkeSubstack📱 Instagram: https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowInstagram📱 Facebook: https://bit.ly/TheRadkesFacebook

👋 Ready to go deeper? Become a paid subscriber to Stretch Marks and get:

* Weekday POV (Point of View) Audio messages from me (think: pep talks, gut checks, and reminders that you’re not crazy) - short, sweet, and straight from the middle of the mess

* A twice monthly advice podcast called We’re Here for You Wednesday with me and David answering your questions

* Monthly paid-only posts (the stuff I don’t share with everyone)

* The ability to comment on posts and join actual community conversations

👉 Subscribe here for $9/month or $90/year

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit melissaradke.substack.com/subscribe